The classroom is consistently small with the largest class having 19 total

students and the smallest having 6 students. The average class size is 13 students,
with the average boys accounting for 8 students and the average girls accounting
for 7 students. Within the classroom the technology includes the instructors Mac
laptop, a projector, projector screen and whiteboards. The school is a small school
with 480 students total (Tempe Schools). The districts ethnicity consists of 53.15%
Hispanic, 21.93% White, 10.79% African American, 7.11% Native American, and
2.36% Asian/Pacific Islander (Tempe Schools). From talking to multiple individuals at
the school, and observing around the school the area has a low socioeconomic
status. The modern technology around the schools consist of 30 computers in a
computer lab and 20 iPad throughout the entire school. Most families that have
students attending the school dont have internet at home. From talking to
individuals at the school I have learned that over 90% of the students are on free
and reduced lunch making this school a title 1 school. The school also has
information on its website for information about free and reduced lunch (Lunch). I
have also learned that the school is going to be rebuilt during the next school year
advancing the school itself but not necessarily the technology used within the
classrooms. At Laird Elementary school the AIMS testing of the previous year
received a C, while Tempe Elementary School District received a B score rating
(Scores). There are no specific accolades for the school, though the rebuilding and
renovation of the school is worth noting as well as the continuous improvement the
school has shown in recent years. The school district has a total of 21 different
schools with Laird Elementary being one of two K-8 schools. The school is in
northern Tempe on the border of the Scottsdale Tempe border. It resides about a
mile to two miles from Arizona State Universitys Tempe campus, and also is very
close to the Pima Native American reservation. The income per capita of Tempe is
$26,471 and the median household income is $47,882 (Economy in Tempe, AZ,
014). The cost of living in Tempe, Arizona is 108.30 with the average amount being
100 in the United States (Cost of Living in Tempe, Arizona, 2014).
The technology currently around campus is vast through previous uses such
as whiteboards, desks, overhead projectors, and textbooks. While the instructors
currently have Mac laptops, the students dont have much access to technology at
home or in the classroom. Although the administration has pitched the idea that
next year incoming sixth graders will receive a laptop for their duration within the
classroom, this has not currently happened. There is a computer lab at the school
currently with 30 laptops available for the entire school and is typically booked with
students for them to practice their keyboarding skills for the upcoming standardized
testing in which the school has opted towards doing the computerized version of the
exam. The school also has 20 total IPad used between two classrooms, where two
teachers have 10 each, and must be borrowed from those instructors when they are
not using them making them difficult to rent out throughout the day depending on
lesson plans. Although technology is planned for integration within every classroom
in the coming years, the technology currently is limited, and within a math class,
the technology is limited further with laptops, although online lectures, and tools
will still be accessible through the laptops.

The technology is needed in the classroom to future innovate and amplify the
teaching styles. Through the use of the technology the students will be able to have
immediate feedback, and will be able to have hands on use of the content. As
technology is becoming more advanced every year as Moores Law continues, the
students in classrooms today are much more technologically savvy than previous
generations. Through implementing technology in the classroom the students will
become much more immersed with not only the lesson and content but in the
technology that is shaping the future of the world. With the use of this technology
not only will the students advance at extraordinary rates but they will also be able
to become more interested in the subject matter than they have previously been. As
students become more restless each year within the classroom and strive to find
interest in subjects due to being bombarded with media outlets outside of the
classroom, integrating and advancing our classroom setting to adapt to the
students is the best way to keep their attention on the subject and to continue their
future success within not only the classroom, but also for when they enter the
workforce in the future.
To help obtain student success and increase the student immersion within the
classroom 20 more iPads would be extremely helpful. Within a mathematics class,
often times instructors use pen and paper as well as lectures and guided practice to
further student development. However, with students learning though media more
today than at any other time in history, integrating the iPads to help teach and
implement mathematics would be very useful. These iPads can be used with various
applications such as educreations, and front row to help students grasp the
information much more handily while also giving them a more interactive
experience in the classroom. These iPads would also be helpful through
assessments in which the instructor can see who needs help and in what area
almost immediately and they would be able to intervene and help the child succeed
in that area of mathematics much more quickly. It would also help see student
progress and in what areas intervention is needed. The possibilities though the use
of iPads within the classroom are extensive beyond what has previously been used
within a mathematics classroom. Besides these hands on applications students can
also research through Ted Talks, access Prezi presentations, and take notes all upon
classroom iPads. These iPads can also be used throughout the campus for the
classrooms that need them, but seeing as there is one math teacher for the middle
school portion of the school, he would be able to implement the technology with
those students early on and progress them through not only learning about the
wonders of math but also what math can accomplish and produce in terms of
technology.

References
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tempeschools.org/our-district/information-history
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tempeschools.org/for-parents/free-reduced-mealapplication
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tempeschools.org/our-schools/school-grades
Cost of Living in Tempe, Arizona. (2014). Retrieved from Best Places:
http://www.bestplaces.net/cost_of_living/city/arizona/tempe
Economy in Tempe, AZ. (014). Retrieved from Best Places:
http://www.bestplaces.net/economy/city/arizona/tempe